- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
2.8i, 6 cyl.
- Engine Power
142kW, 280Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (91) 9.1L/100KM
- Manufacturer
RWD
- Transmission
Auto
- Warranty
NA
- Ancap Safety
NA
Used car review: BMW E39 528i touring 1997-2000
Taking the tribe on tour
Likes
· Proves that wagons don't have to be boring or ugly.
· Engine is silky smooth and willing all the way.
· Looks classy and undeniably BMW.
· Early examples are now cheap considering their brand-new price.
· Drives better than you might imagine a wagon can.
Dislikes
· Insurance isn't cheap.
· Running costs are likely to be higher than for something more common.
· Not as big inside as local wagons.
· No manual-gearbox option.Rating: 4 stars (see ratings key below).
Station-wagons: not the sexiest way to get around, are they? But for many families, a conventional station wagon hits just the right note with its extra load-carrying capacity, without the bulk and running costs of a four-wheel-drive wagon.
But what do you do when you're a keen driver who happens to have a tribe of kids and a dog? A cooking-model station-wagon is never going to ring the right bells for you. But that sporty, prestige European sedan that makes all the right noises just isn't versatile enough.
The Euro-marques' conventional station-wagons, based on sporting sedans, offer the best of both worlds, and one of the best was the BMW 528i touring, which appeared here in 1997, about a year after the rest of the E39 5-Series line-up.
Available elsewhere in the world with bigger and smaller engines, the version that arrived here, as the name implied, is powered by a 2.8-litre variation of BMW's classic in-line, six-cylinder engine. The V8s have infiltrated the 5-Series over the years but the in-line sixes remain perhaps even more charismatic and appeal to traditionalists.
And with 142 kW of power and a hefty 280 Nm of torque from less than three litres, it was clear that the engine was hardly a slacker. It was a truly lovely powerplant with an appetite for revs and a good spread of performance throughout its operating range.
A five-speed automatic transmission with BMW's version of Tiptronic manual over-ride (called Steptronic) was the only gearbox option but suited the car's character and its intended function. Some of those traditionalists would doubtless have liked a conventional manual, but for this market it was not to be.
Based on the competent and sporty E39 chassis, the touring (BMW uses a lower-case 't' to denote its wagons) excelled because it wasn't simply a sedan with an extended roofline grafted on.
BMW went to great lengths to ensure that it worked properly as a wagon with as few compromises as possible.
That is borne out by the excellent aerodynamics, which make for reduced fuel consumption and lower levels of interior noise, a real bogey for other station wagons.
There were also extra reinforcing members in the rear section to ensure the wagon matched the stiffness of the sedan donor car.
Recognising that the touring would probably have to pull weighty loads, BMW developed a more compact rear-suspension set-up so that the cargo space was bigger and had a flatter floor by eliminating the strut towers. And to cap off its load-hauling credentials, the touring had a pneumatic, self-levelling rear suspension to keep the vehicle level regardless of the mass being carried.
Given its family orientation, BMW also paid plenty of attention to making the 5-Series station-wagon safe.
The rear seat incorporated a pair of child restraints that could be folded out of the seat bottom and each of the five positions had a three-point seat-belt; not something that was common in 1997. A head-restraint for each passenger and seat-belt pretensioners were also included.
ABS brakes were standard fare, and so were four air-bags; two in the front and one at each side of the passenger compartment.
And just to make the touring one of the most comprehensive safety packages of its time, BMW also threw in traction control and stability control.
Of course, the safest car in the world won't appeal to the right people if it's dull to drive. And on that front, the touring had the game sewn up.
The sophisticated rear suspension meant that it still handled well with a load on board and the general dynamics inherent in the 5-Series platform took care of the rest.
The Claytons wagon then: the station wagon you have when you're not having a station wagon?
Probably.
Need to know
- Self-levelling pneumatic suspension works well but not cheap to rebuild.
- Make sure you're looking at an Australian-delivered example.
- Some engines wore early but will have identified themselves by now.
- Ensure all the electrical gear and the electronic service indicator is working absolutely perfectly.
Nuts 'n' bolts - BMW E39 528i Touring
Engine: 2.8-litre 6-cyl.
Transmission: 5-auto.
Fuel economy: City/highway (according to Government tests): 11.5/7.6 litres per 100 km.
Safety rating: 4 stars (www.howsafeisyourcar.com.au).
Insurance: $852 (courtesy of RACV Insurance. Assumes a 40-year-old, rating 1 driver living in a medium-risk suburb).
What to pay
Model | Year | New | Now |
528i touring | 1997 | $104,000 | $22,500 |
528i touring | 1998 | $106,500 | $27,100 |
528i touring | 1999 | $106,500 | $34,800 |
528i touring | 2000 | $102,345 | $43,000 |
Competitors
Audi A4/A6 Avant
Sleek and stylish, the Audi station wagons were spun off both the A4 and A6 platforms. "Quattro" all-wheel-drive will appeal to safety-conscious buyers. Good to drive and well built.
Rating: 4 stars.
Mercedes-Benz E-Class wagon
Available with a couple of different engines, none of which measured up to the BMW six, but the Benz is still a good thing to drive and own. Pricier than the BMW, though, and not the same driver's car.
Rating: 4 stars.
Peugeot 406 wagon
Not in the same league of prestige or as well equipped as the rest of this lot, but the Peugeot was available with a turbo-diesel engine, which radically reduced running costs.
Rating: 3 stars
Prices and details correct at publication
Ratings
5 stars: Dream wheels
4 stars: Recommended
3 stars: On the ball
2 stars: Just transport
1 star: Very ordinary